Fish Oil and Allergies Continued June 5, 2007
Posted by Joe in : Health and Fitness , trackback
Previously, I’ve written about using fish oil to combat allergies. I’d like to revisit that post now by going more in-depth on the topic.
Since posting, I didn’t take many fish oil pills, and as such, my allergies have been killer this year. I’ve been using a nasal spray - Astelin - but that only works for a few hours and causes drowsiness. As a result, I’ve begun taking fish oil supplements again, and in four days, my symptoms have decreased to an almost non-existant level and I am able to discontinue using the nasal spray.
I’ve come across a lot of information on the internet about fish oil and the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on allergies. There are a lot of resources out there and studies to support this idea of fish oil being the fix-all to allergy symptoms. Here are a few for you to check out:
Preliminary studies show link between fatty acids in fish oil and respiratory/allergy disease
“Fish Oil Relieved my Daughter’s Allergies”
Note that I have no connection to the site linked above (or any of these for that matter), but I linked to the success story page because of some important information mentioned there. If you’ll note, the quote says, “Four days ago (this is May) I changed the fish oil to another brand with a very high ratio of epa and very little dha.” EPA and DHA are the two fatty acids found in fish oil. Various supplements provide different ratios of the two acids within the supplements, so it is important to note that in the above story, the supplement with a lower level of DHA resulted in allergic symptoms returning. From my experience, a good ratio is 800 mg EPA and 500 mg DHA or thereabout. Don’t let the DHA fall under 500 mg. This information should be provided on the bottles when you buy them.
Not only does fish oil repress allergies in those of us who have allergies, but studies have suggested that pregnant mothers who take fish oil may have babies that are less prone to developing allergies of their own. That’s even better!
Be sure to do some of your own research to find more information about fish oil. Also, as a word of caution: If you take oil from cod, be aware it contains a high level of vitamin A. Be aware of how much vitamin A you’re consuming if your fish oil is derived from cod fish.
You might have heard that fish oil is good for your heart, too. Recent studies have actually shown that this may not be true, and in some cases, may actually harm certain people who have select heart conditions. If you’re taking fish oil for heart health, be sure to consult your doctor and research the topic well online. Also be sure to follow recommended dosages for your fish oil supplements found on the bottles they come in.
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